Unless otherwise stated, all images, content and recipes are original and are the sole property of Mary Foreman, DeepSouthDish.com. No photographs or other content may be used without prior written consent.

Privacy Disclosure

Any personal information you provide (e.g., name, email address, etc) will never be released to any entities outside Deep South Dish. As with most websites and blogs across the Internet, third party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on a user's prior visits to websites.

Affiliate Disclaimer

Deep South Dish is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to products at amazon.com. Your support is greatly appreciated - Thank You!

Food, family and memories are as intertwined in the South as if woven on the same thread. At any function we attend, from a party to a wedding to a funeral, we are as likely to talk as much about the food that was there, as we are about why we are gathered. ~Mary Foreman

I'm your cook, not your doctor. ~PAULA DEEN

I found out what the secret to life is: friends. Best friends. ~Ninny Threadgoode

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

A thick and creamy soup with all the goodness of a loaded baked potato - bacon, butter, sour cream, cheddar cheese and green onion.

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

I blame the creation of this Loaded Baked Potato soup recipe on Facebook. Yep. One day Randy, a reader over there, posted on the wall asking for potato soup recipes so, of course, I gave him links to my Creamy Potato Soup, and my Creamy Cheesy Potato Soup with Bacon. Then, I started thinking... one of those is a shortcut soup and is creamy; the other I used the immersion blender on, so it is also creamy. I really need a chunky potato soup up here on the site.

Then, just a little while later that very same day, Donna posted on the wall that she had made the O'Charley's Loaded Baked Potato copycat soup and it was delicious. Well, there wasn't getting potato soup out of my mind then for sure!

She just used an internet recipe from one of those recipe mines, so I checked a few out and while they all sounded pretty good, many were a little too heavy on the cream, half and half and sour cream than I felt they needed to be, so I set out to develop my own version of a loaded baked potato soup.

Most recipes for loaded potato soup also incorporated mashed baked potatoes, if they even actually use baked potatoes at all because a few use things like frozen cubed hash brown potatoes, or even frozen mashed potatoes. All of these make a fine potato soup, but to me that doesn't really qualify for what I'd call a "baked potato" soup. I definitely wanted the authentic flavor of real baked potatoes and the added texture they would give to the soup. To save time, bake the potatoes in advance and store them in the fridge or plan this dish following a meal where you include baked potatoes and bake up some extra.

The soup still has all the goodies of a loaded baked potato in it - bacon, butter, sour cream, cheddar cheese and green onion, and of course I included a few dashes of hot sauce, along with some of my favorite Slap Ya Mama Cajun seasoning. Sauteing some basic veggies in bacon drippings and butter first was a great base, to which I then made a light roux, followed by a broth base and a combination of milk and half and half. Later in went the sour cream, freshly grated cheese, and green onions along with a nice repeat of some ingredients in the garnish. Layers of flavor y'all - that's what it's all about!

This produced a nice, thick and creamy soup as a background to the tender chunks of barely peeled baked potato, a little different from your usual loaded baked potato soup, and simply delicious. It turned out exactly the way that I had hoped it would, and would be a perfect warm meal for this current cold snap.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Scrub the potatoes and prick several times with a fork or the tip of a knife. Bake directly on the oven rack for about 45 minutes, or until tender. Let cool, then peel off just the outer layer of peeling and then cut into chunks. Don't worry if some of the chunks break up - it will only add to the creaminess of the soup base. The potatoes can be baked a day or so in advance and stored in the refrigerator, if desired.

Cook the chopped bacon over medium heat in the bottom of a soup pot until tender, but not crisp. Add the butter and melt; saute the onion and celery with the bacon about 4 minutes, or until softened. Add the garlic; cook another 2 minutes. Sprinkle the flour in, a little at a time, stirring until all of the flour is fully incorporated. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly about 5 minutes. Bring the heat up to medium high and begin adding the chicken broth a little at a time, stirring constantly, until all of the broth has been incorporated and mixture is smooth. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, stirring several times.

Stir in the milk, half and half, salt, pepper, Cajun seasoning, hot sauce, and potatoes. Increase heat and bring mixture up to just before a boil, then reduce heat to simmer and cook another 15 minutes, stirring several times. Stir in the sour cream, cheese, and green onions and simmer just until cheese has melted and everything is heated through. Garnish individual bowls with a small pinch of shredded cheese, green onion and crumbled bacon.

Cook's Notes: Rather than using mashed potatoes or a frozen potato substitute, I definitely wanted the authentic flavor of real baked potatoes and the added texture they would give to the soup. To save time, bake the potatoes in advance and store them in the fridge or plan this dish following a meal where you include baked potatoes and bake up some extra. I like to use russets.

Material Disclosure: Unless otherwise noted, you should assume that post links to the providers of goods and services mentioned, establish an affiliate relationship and/or other material connection and that I may be compensated when you purchase from a provider. You are never under any obligation to purchase anything when using my recipes and you should always perform due diligence before buying goods or services from anyone via the Internet or offline.

Mary, Mary, Mary, you've gone and done it again. You have given me a recipe that I know I can really sink my teeth into and enjoy. I make a loaded baked potato salad during the summer that combines all those yummy ingredients and now I can have something just as yummy in the winter. Thank you!

Hi Mary....glad I found your blog. I read "Homesick Texan" too and found you there. You Baked Potato Soup recipe looks delicious. I've added myself as a follower. And you are RIGHT...50 IS the new 30. :) Happy Fall Ya'll from Houston, TX

I made this and it's fantastic; a creamy, chunky, bacon infused base truly tastes like a loaded baked potato. I parboiled my potates, added sweet red pepper and green onion to the sauteed bacon/onion mix, & added a can of sweet, whole kernal corn for sweetness, and a pinch of rosemary leaves. I used two cans of evaporated milk rather than milk and 1/2 & 1/2. The best soup i've ever made. Thank you!

I made this soup a couple of weeks ago. Hats off to you Mary!! It's is absolutely to die for scrumptious!! My husband, 'The Buckeye' has dubbed you my 'go to girl' when I'm looking for recipes that meets our tastes buds. :)

Hey Laverne! I haven't worked out my recipe for the slow cooker yet but I have seen similar recipes done in one. I think they'd have to skip the baked potato part because the potatoes would break up too much since they are already cooked, but I really wanted the flavor of the potatoes baked in my soup. It really makes a difference.

For a slow cooker, you'll want to cook the peeled cut up raw potatoes with the raw onion, celery and chicken stock until the potatoes are cooked through - I'd say somewhere in the neighborhood of 5 to 6 hours on low & maybe 2 to 3 on high, not sure. Leave out any milk and/or cream until that part is done though because cream & milk tends to separate in a crockpot.

Once the potatoes are done, you'll need to thicken to soup a little since we're missing the flour roux in my version. Best way to do that will be to remove and puree a little of the potatoes & broth together, probably a cup or so I'd say, then return that to the pot, add the milk and cream, seasonings, sour cream, cheese, etc. turn up to high to get it to warm through quickly, scoop out & garnish. I don't think the soup would be quite as flavorful as my version, but I'm sure it'll still be tasty! Hope that helps!

Once again, I have fallen in love with one of your soup recipes (the Cabbage, Leek and Andouille Sausage is my absolute favorite)! I messed up the directions (poured the broth in before the flour), but it turned out fine. This soup is delicious and I can't wait for my husband to have some for lunch tomorrow! Thanks so much for taking the time to develop and post these wonderful recipes for us!

I made this last night for a group of military spouses. It was a huge success!! I did use plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream...couldn't tell the difference. We have lactose intolerance in our family so now on to substitute a lactose free milk and coconut milk for the half and half to see how it works. Thank you for such a wonderful recipe!!!

The baked potato soup turned out fantastic! Your recipes are now my go-to resource.lol Any tips on speeding up the potato peeling? Peeled the outer layer off with fingers, seemed to take forever. Thanks Mary

Hi Jeff! I usually use russets for this and once baked the skins separate from the potato pretty easily and are easy to peel off. Other potatoes may need a vegetable peeler or a paring knife, especially yukons. You could even get away with leaving the peels on those if you prefer.

Just made this for my brother and me (both vegetarians), with vegetarian (“no-chicken” brand) bouillon, 1% milk and fat free 1/2 and 1/2. Oh, and Kroger brand Bac’n’bits (also vegetarian!). To substitute for the bacon grease, I sautéed the veggies in butter then made the roux. Other than that, followed it to the letter. It was DELICIOUS!! Thanks for sharing!!

Thanks for taking the time to comment - I love hearing from readers and I read every single comment and try to respond to them right here on the site, so stop back by!

From time to time, anonymous restrictions and/or comment moderation may be activated due to comment spam. I also reserve the right to edit, delete or otherwise exercise total editorial discretion over any comments left on this blog. If your comment serves only to be snarky, mean-spirited or argumentative, it will be deleted. Please mind your manners.

Hey Y’all! Welcome to some good ole, down home southern cooking. Pull up a chair, grab some iced tea, and 'sit a bit' as we say down south. If this is your first time visiting Deep South Dish, you can sign up for FREE updates via EMAIL or RSS feed, or you can catch up with us on Facebook and Twitter too!

You don’t have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces – just good food from fresh ingredients. ~Julia Child

The classic southern plate for supper is made up of meat and three, cornbread or rolls & a tall glass of sweet iced tea.

Oftentimes what makes a recipe southern, is as much a state of mind as it is a matter of geography - Southerners simply decide a particular food is southern, and that's that." ~Rick McDaniel, Food Historian

Quantcast

Material Disclosure: This site is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program,
an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Unless otherwise noted, you should assume that post links to the providers of goods and services mentioned, establish an affiliate relationship and/or other material connection and that I may be compensated when you purchase from the provider. You are never under any obligation to purchase anything when using my recipes and you should always perform due diligence before buying goods or services from anyone via the Internet or offline.

DISCLAIMER: This is a recipe site intended for entertainment. By using this site and these recipes you agree that you do so at your own risk, that you are completely responsible for any liability associated with the use of any recipes obtained from this site, and that you fully and completely release Mary Foreman and Deep South Dish LLC and all parties associated with either entity, from any liability whatsoever from your use of this site and these recipes.

ALL CONTENT PROTECTED UNDER THE DIGITAL MILLENNIUM COPYRIGHT ACT. CONTENT THEFT, EITHER PRINT OR ELECTRONIC, IS A FEDERAL OFFENSE. Recipes may be printed ONLY for personal use and may not be transmitted, distributed, reposted, or published elsewhere, in print or by any electronic means. Seek explicit permission before using any content on this site, including partial excerpts, all of which require attribution linking back to specific posts on this site. I have, and will continue to act, on all violations.